comment_fic | free for all

tigriswolf posting in

And now it's time for the free for all.

As ever, the rules are:

*No more than five prompts in a row.
*No more than three prompts in the same fandom.
*No spoilers in prompts for a month after airing. Use a spoiler cut as needed.

If your fill contains spoilers, warn and leave plenty of space.

Have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

likewinning.livejournal.com

any, any, "All us monsters deserve a little mercy."

From:

tigriswolf

(In this 'verse. Talk of violence/death/everything that thse two guys entail)

...

Jason wakes up to Jimmy curled up in the corner, scrolling through a tablet. “I have been researching Gotham,” Jimmy says without glancing at him.

Jason groans. “How long’ve I been out?”

“You awakened sporadically over three days,” Jimmy informs him. Shit. Is mission mode still in play? “We are in Burbank and no one followed us from the target.” He does glance at Jason for a moment before looking back at the tablet. “One of Captain America’s allies did find us. She said she would tell no one our location.”

“Do you believe her?” Jason asks, sitting up. He’s achy but nothing actually hurts. Those Hydra fuckers weren’t really focused on him; they wanted Jimmy.

Shit. He’s gotta get better than this if he wants to watch Jimmy’s back. The League – maybe he should’ve stayed longer, picked more up from them. But if he hadn’t been in Baltimore…

Fuck what ifs. What’s done is done.

“I do,” Jimmy says. “She fought Hydra. And Captain America trusts her.”

Seriously, what the fuck is the deal between Jimmy and Captain America?

“I have also begun researching the target known as ‘Joker,’” Jimmy says.

Jason can’t help the flinch.

“We will take a few weeks for you to fully heal,” Jimmy tells him, setting the tablet down and rising to his feet. He walks over, more quietly even than Bruce, and studies Jason.

“I need to pick up some new moves, too,” Jason says, trying to sit up. Jimmy steadies him as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. “I haven’t felt like this much of a liability since –” He laughs bitterly. “Since the Joker killed me, actually.”

Jimmy nods. “I trained Hydra’s best,” he says, smiling a tiny little smile. “I can teach you. We’ll be driving and it’s 3000 miles; we’ve got time.”

.

If Jason had thought Jimmy a mother hen before, he takes it to new heights. Jason’s not allowed to do anything for two days after he finally fully wakes up except eat, shit, and sleep. It’s worse even than Alfred, Jason’s only actual experience with a caring authority figure. And he can’t even complain about it (much) because it’s his own damn fault and Jimmy is clearly delighted to be able to help. And he’s acting more and more like a person, actually disagreeing with Jason, offering his own opinions. It’s fuckin’ awesome.

Whoever he was before Hydra was a damned good man, Jason decides. Definitely an older brother or father.

On the third day, Jimmy says, “I’ve procured a car. We’ll move out tonight.”

“Okay,” Jason says. “I’ll pack up our gear. You’ve gotten other supplies?”

Jimmy nods. “Good. I don’t suppose we can go out for lunch?”

He gets Jimmy’s assessing stare, from the top his head to his feet. “Fine,” Jimmy says after a moment.

.

Jimmy drives as they leave Burbank. Jason figures he won’t be allowed behind the wheel for at least ten states.

He doesn’t want to talk about the Joker or Bruce or Hydra or either of their pasts. Instead, he gives Jimmy the rundown on the entire Star Wars universe and it takes until mid-morning, when they finally stop to stretch their legs.

After lunch, Jason starts telling him about Star Trek.

.

Edited Date: 2014-09-11 04:08 pm (UTC)

From:

tigriswolf

They take their time, stopping for a couple of days here and there so that Jason can keep in practice, not let himself get out of shape. Jimmy critiques him and even complains about what Bruce and the League had taught him.

“I wasn’t the best student,” he says.

Jimmy gives him a raised eyebrow. “And are you now?”

Jason nods. “I’ve gotta be able to watch your back and not make you worry about me,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sighing, Jimmy says, “Let’s take a break. I wanna cover another hundred miles before nightfall.”

.

They spend a week in Nebraska, going over everything Jason knows about combat.

It starts with Jimmy creating a space in an old farmhouse and then telling Jason, “Try to take me down.”

Jason blinks at him. “What?”

Jimmy is goddamned smirking as he repeats, “Try. To. Take. Me. Down.”

Jason tries. He fails.

Once he’s gasping on the floor, Jimmy kneeling over him, Jimmy asks, “Would you like to know what you did wrong?”

“Lay it on me,” Jason says, head flopping back. “Shit. Haven’t been taken down that quick since Talia.”

Jimmy versus Talia -- that is something Jason wants to see. Except, it’d end with one of them dead. Shit.

“Up,” Jimmy says, rolling off Jason and offering him a hand. “You bulldoze your way against a target; you need more finesse.”

“Okay,” Jason says. “Show me.”

.

Jason gets to drive again in Illinois while Jimmy keeps researching. He asks questions about Gotham that Jason tries to answer; he’d had a lot of things set up but he’d planned to spend a month undercover to finalize it all.

“Tell me what your plan was,” Jimmy says as they drive across Indiana.

After he’s done, Jimmy just stares at him in silence for almost five miles. “What?” Jason finally demands, glaring at him.

“I’ve heard worse plans,” Jimmy says after a moment. “Most of them were in a warzone, though.”

Jason clenches his jaw. “What’s wrong with the plan?”

Jimmy sighs. “Think about what we just finished,” he says. “Do you still think your original plan is the best way to do things?”

They sit in silence until Jason finally pulls up to a motel in Indianapolis. “Okay, so it might’ve been a little complicated,” Jason admits. “Let’s table it until after dinner.”

.

After dinner, Jimmy asks, “Do you want the Joker dead?”

Jason nods. “Not just for me, either,” he says. “He’s… he’s never gonna change, it doesn’t matter how long he’s locked away. He always gets out. And Bruce…” Jason sighs. “He’s got this thing against killing. He’s never gonna do it. And the Joker terrifies everyone, even assassins.”

Jimmy smiles at him, slow and sweet. “He doesn’t terrify me.”

After a minute, Jason smiles back. “No, I guess he doesn’t.”

From:

likewinning.livejournal.com

Ahhhh, this is brilliant. I love how you write Jay, I really do. I love the older brother thing they have going on, and how Jimmy kinda steps in and says "this is a dumb plan." LOVE the "take me down" bit, unf, and yay for the Talia mention because yo, I'd love to see that, too. It's really interesting to see Jason in this kind of dynamic - both guiding and being guided. Annnd I love the mentions of Bruce, and Jason's wtf? moment about Cap. <3 The thought of Jimmy and Joker in the same space terrifies me, oh man.

Thank you for this!

From:

tigriswolf

I'm so glad you like it!

In his heart of hearts, James Buchanan Barnes is a caretaker; of that, I'm sure. And Jason... I'm not as sure about him, but I do think he'd be protective of those he considers 'his,' you know?

From:

likewinning.livejournal.com

Oh, dude, Jason is totally a caretaker, even if he has messy ways of showing it. I mean he used to be a street kid, so he's like. Violently protective of prostitutes and kids and the under-represented. He might be a psycho killer but the boy has a HEART OF FUCKING GOLD.